The Sting of Death

Series 21, Episode 3

The Sting of Death

Airdate

1 December 2019 (US)
21 March 2021 (UK)

Episode guide
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The Sting of Death is the third episode in the Twenty First series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders. It was first streamed in the U.S. on 1 December 2019 on streaming services Acorn TV and Britbox. It aired on ITV1 in the U.K. on 21 March 2021.

Synopsis[]

DCI Barnaby and DS Winter are called to the stately home of a master beekeeper after he is injured attempting to apprehend a thief. The village of Granville Norton is abuzz with news of the missing bees, and suspicions fly when one of the locals is stung to death.

Plot[]

A yellow VW Bug drives through the gate of Apley Court. Ambrose Deddington gets out of the car. He leans through the window and kisses someone. Somebody takes a photo of Ambrose. He goes into his house. Ambrose looks out the window and sees someone pounding on his beehives in the backyard. He chases them and they hit him on the head.

At the Barnaby house, DCI John Barnaby reaches down to pick up a ball and toss it for Paddy, his dog. His wife, Sarah Barnaby says to Barnaby, "You need to do some stretching if you want to stay flexible." John rubs his back and says, "Yeah, I'm perfectly flexible, thank you." Sarah says, "Touch your toes." Barnaby can't quite make it. Betty says, "I can do it, Daddy. Look! So can Paddy!" Sarah says, "You need to go back to yoga." Barnaby says, "Oh, it didn't work last time. All that de-stressing and meditation just sent me to sleep... Most men can't touch their toes. It's a... a hamstring thing." DS Jamie Winter walks in. "What about you, Jamie? Can you touch your toes?" asks Sarah. Winter bends down and touches his toes. "I rest my case. Use or lose it," says Sarah. Barnaby says to Winter, "Well, thanks for showing me up. I've been avoiding Sarah's yoga classes for years." Winter tells him there has been another attempted bee heist over in Granville Norton. It's the first case of bee rustling with violence. There's a potentially dangerous swarm on the loose. Barnaby says, "Apprehending bees isn't part of my job description." Winter replies, "It is now."

Barnaby and Winter arrive in Apley Court. "Who's the victim?" says Barnaby. "Ambrose Deddington. Master beekeeper and historic honey producer," responds Winter. Ambrose Deddington is walking around with a bandage to his head. He says the bees are in uproar. The buzzing sound is a distress call. Bees are very sensitive to disruption, especially something of this violent nature. Ambrose's sister saunters over. "Our queen bee will answer your questions. My sister. Tamara. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some hives to attend to as a matter of urgency," says Ambrose.

Winter and Barnaby follow Tamara Deddington, "What happened exactly?" Tamara says she was just about to go to bed when I heard shouting. She ran out and found Ambrose lying on the ground. "Why would bee rustlers target Apley Court?" asks Barnaby. Tamara says, "It's a population in decline, specialist bees and their honey have become a valuable commodity." "Was anything else stolen?"asks Winter. Tamara "Yes. Several boxes of our top-of-the-range honey, Apley Gold." Apley Gold is the U.K.'s best-selling and most-exported premium honey. It has the ability to produce cells responsible for tissue repair. Other brands make similar claims, but Apley Gold is 100 times more potent than any of the competitors.

Ambrose talks to the bees, "Calm yourselves. Calm. There's nothing to fear here." Barnaby says "What were you doing out here so late at night, Mr. Deddington?" Ambrose says he was inspecting the hives as he always does before he goes to bed. He rarely leave the estate. He saw torchlight across the lawn, and heard the swarm rising, and that was the last thing he remembers. Ambrose says his nephew, Jude Deddington probably did this. Tamara says "Oh, Ambrose." Ambrose says, "He's punishing me!." Tamara says, "Jude feels the need to modernize. Ambrose doesn't like change." "Jude is a parasitic drone. He's... He's a dreamer. He wants everything on a plate, and he resents me because I-I refuse to give it to him. What we have achieved here has to be guarded, and it has to... It has to be nurtured. And if Jude had his way, he'd destroy the unique purity of these colonies. And I-I am not going to let that happen," says Ambrose. They are told that their nephew lives at Lavender Lane Farm on the other side of the estate. "He lives with our elder sister, Melissa. For whom I apologize in advance," says Tamara. Ambrose says, "All I want is the safe return of my bees. They're a rare and historic strain and potentially a danger to the public. I want them home."

"Bit weird, isn't it? Brother and sister living together like a married couple?" says Winter. Barnaby replies, "Families like the Deddingtons are a law unto themselves. Cleopatra married two of her brothers. Probably murdered one of them."

Tamara argues with Ambrose. He did leave the estate last night. She came to his bedroom and he wasn't there. The cleaning lady, Lynda Babbage walks in. Tamara tells her to knock before entering and asks her to do the upstairs first. Lynda Babbage listens through the keyhole.

"Where were you last night?" asks Tamara. "You know I'll find out, whether you tell me or not." Ambrose tells her he needs to prepare his speech for the solstice. Tamara says, "You owe me, my darling brother. I gave up everything for you."

Winter and Barnaby go to Lavender Lane Farm, Jude Deddington's home. It is a ramshackle set of buildings in poor condition. Winter looks through a window and says it doesn't look like anyone is in. Someone is behind a door of a broken down hut. Melissa Deddington crashes through the door and yells, "Go away! Get out of here! Get out of here! Invaders in the house! Go away! Invaders in the house!" Jude drives up and runs out to her "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here. It's okay.. Shh." Barnaby says, "We're police officers. We just need to ask a few questions." Jude asks Cyrus Babbage to take them to the Meadery.

The Meadery is in another building with multiple bottles and a distillery. Cyrus apologizes for the mess. They need investment to get to the next level. Mead is honey fermented with water and yeast. Also known as the "drink of the gods." It was very popular with the ancients. "You can add herbs and flowers and roots to give it a more distinctive flavor. We're experimenting with different brews," explains Cyrus. They would be calling their brew "Apley Nectar," but Jude says his uncle refuses to allow him to use the Apley name. Jude says he and Cyrus were in the Meadery last night. They often work late depending on where they are at with the brew. Cyrus gets a text with a ringtone that sounds like bees. It is from "Swarm Protect." The Apley bee swarm has been sighted at Granville Copse. Cyrus leaves to go there before they rise again.

Jude dresses up in protective gear to check on his bees. He tells Barnaby that he and his mother were evicted from their ancestral home (Apley Court) and left to rot in this dump. "My mother's vulnerable. She doesn't deserve any of this." Jude says he got along fine with his Uncle Ambrose until he started questioning his methods. "Ambrose believes in purity of line above all else. He sees the bees as the living embodiment of his ancestors." But Jude sees the bigger picture. They're facing a catastrophic decline in bee population. The Apley hives included. Crossbreeding could help reverse that trend. Ensure that pollination survives. That humanity survives.

Jude says, "My mother was the black sheep of the family. She left home at 16, got into drսgs. The family didn't even know I existed until I was 7 years old. We were promised the dower house in perpetuity if my mum stayed clean, which she did. But it wasn't in her parents will, so Ambrose sold it anyway. Ambrose is a man who'll do absolutely anything to get what he wants."

Hannah Brookthorpe walks home carrying a huge backpack. She has been out of town traveling for the past year. She calls Jude to ask where he is. He was supposed to pick her up at the airport.

Cyrus finds the swarm. He says the bees are too high, even for his ladders. "They're only clustered like this to protect the queen while the scout bees go off and find a new location. I'll have to wait until they move on. But if they don't rise soon, I could be here all night. Bees don't tend to swarm in the dark". Winter asks "Are they dangerous?" Cyrus says, "Not usually. Honeybees are at their most docile when they swarm. But, just like people, some colonies are more aggressive than others. And these bees, well, they sound angry." Winter asks. "Is there any resentment from other honey producers that the Apley Court brand is so successful?" Cyrus replies, "No, the opposite. They all look up to him. Admire what he's achieved after all he's been through."

Rev. Nigel Brookthorpe is in his doctor's office. "I've been rejected as bishop of Causton, Dr. Lowe. The final nail in the coffin." Dr. Serena Lowe says, "I'm so sorry. I know how much you wanted that. Nigel says, "It seems I'm always second best. No one seems to care about God anymore. And if St. Valentine's was a shrine to some bee-worshiping cult, we'd be packed to the rafters. And I've lost count of the times the church has been broken into." Serena puts a hand on Nigels and says, "I'm here for you, Nigel. You do know that? Any time, day or night." Someone takes photos of the two of them in the office.

Winter did some research into Ambrose. "When he was diagnosed with cancer, Ambrose treated it with apitherapy. Which is a branch of alternative medicine that uses honey products and bee venom. Deddington put his faith in it, and the tumors vanished. He's become a bit of a legend in the alternative-medicine world. And it's made him very rich. He has no children. Apley Court passes down the male line. And as he doesn't have any sons of his own, It goes to his only nephew. Jude Deddington."

At The Hive, a beauty salon, wellness cafe and fitness studio with the Apley organization, Cal Ingalls shows Tamara an article in Midsomer Life about herself. "You're a miracle worker, Cal. And your beeswax promotion's gone brilliantly. We've almost sold out," says Tamara. Cal says Hi to Noah. He admires the solstice photography on the wall from the Camera Club. Noah passes Tamara an envelope. She opens the envelope and calls Jude.

In Dr. Serena Lowe's office, Lynda Babbage is going through a purse on the desk. She pulls out a wallet. Dr. Lowe walks in and dismisses Lynda and tells her to go before she calls police. Lynda says "you wouldn't do that, would you? You've got too much to lose. People like you always jump to conclusions about people like us. But I know who you really are. I'll see you tomorrow, Dr. Lowe. Bright and early."

Noah comes to the surgery and asks Dr. Lowe to take a quick look at his knee. Nigel rides up on a bike with a bouquet of flowers. He sees Dr. Lowe and Noah together and throws the bouquet in the trash, which Sarah Barnaby happens to observe.

Cyrus calls Swarm Protect to tell them the swarm at Granville Copse is unlikely to rise until daybreak. That night, someone in a beekeeper's outfit is in Dr. Lowe's office.

In the morning, a milkman discovers Dr. Lowe's body covered in bees. Winter reports to Barnaby that they have to hold back until the bees disperse. There was a break-in at the surgery. Lynda Babbage, the surgery cleaner, found the break-in. Lynda says Dr. Lowe was like a "daughter to her."

Pathologist, Fleur Perkins comes up in a beekeepers coveralls. Time of death was somewhere between 2 and 4 am. Bee stings can kill if the victim has a severe allergy. It also depends on where you are stung. A single sting to the throat can compromise the airway via localized swelling. If the victim died between 2:00 and 4:00, all the bees must have swarmed in the dark. Which Cyrus said they wouldn't normally do.

Jude comes to talk to Uncle Ambrose. He says, "There's going to be an official investigation into the Meadery on the grounds of poor bee husbandry. We're going to have to suspend production! An anonymous source tipped them off. I know it was you." Ambrose says, "And I know it was you who destroyed my hives. Well, I've made up my mind. You're never going to inherit Apley Court."

Cal comes up to talk to Noah in The Hive. He says he wants to know more about the spiritual side of yoga. Tamara is upset. She and Noah go into the Yoga Room. She tells Noah that Dr. Lowe is dead. Stung to death. Tamara says Serena and Ambrose were seeing each other behind her back. She could've ruined everything. It's divine justice that woman was killed by one of his colonies. Noah tells her not to waste her energy on negativity. They kiss.

Barnaby and Winter drive up to the Dower House, where Jude and his mother used to live. It is a much nicer home than the one they are currently in. Cyrus Babbage is there. He tells them that he managed to catch the swarm. He was at Granville Copse all last night. He saw Ambrose Deddington. "I thought he was coming to check on the swarm. But then he disappeared into the surgery. Cal Ingalls' car drove past at around 11:00. Headlights full beam. I'd specifically put out a warning on Swarm Protect and the Village Forum to avoid the area because bees can swarm in response to strong artificial light. I didn't want to risk it."

Cal Ingalls walks in. He asks the Barnaby and Winter if there is a problem. Barnaby says, "A woman died last night. We're not at liberty to reveal any specific details as yet. We're just trying to piece together what happened." Winter says, "A witness places your car heading towards Granville Norton at around 11:00 p.m." Cal says he "needed milk, went to the all-night garage." Cal didn't receive the swarm alert from the Village Forum saying to avoid Marston Road? "You have to be invited. And a gay widower from London doesn't tick everyone's boxes." Cal hasn't been made to feel very welcome by some members of the community.

Over by the gate, Melissa stands with a knife. Flight of the Bumblebee plays...Inside the house, Cal walks downstairs. Melissa tells him, "Get out of my house."

Jude is talking on the phone "Yeah, yeah. Look, if they start asking questions, I won't lie for you. Not now and not anymore. I've got to go." Hannah walks in. "Why weren't you at the airport?" says Hannah. Jude says, "You're back. I-I thought it was tomorrow." "How could you get it wrong? You said you were counting the days," asks Hannah. They hug. Hannah went round to his mum's but she wasn't there. Jude runs off to look for her.

Cyrus greets Hannah. He tells Hannah her dad's "not great, to be honest. It's like he's given up. Most of the congregation's moved to St. Mary's. I'm... I'm sure he'll be better now you're back."

At the dower house, Cal confronts Jude, "You promised me this wouldn't happen again!" Jude says, "She's confused. She thinks she still lives here. She thinks you're the intruder." Cal shows Jude the knife. "She threatened me with this! Your mother broke into my house! I was in the shower completely vulnerable! I could be dead now!" Jude says, "But she'd never actually use it. Look, um, it won't happen again. You have my word. And thank you for not calling the police." Cal gives Jude the knife.

At the police station, Barnaby says, "Two robberies. Two violent attacks, one of them fatal. Anything from Fleur on cause of death?" Winter says they have no leads on the drսg from the surgery or the outrageously expensive honey? Uniform is trawling through the CCTV and looking at the roads leading in and out of Granville Norton. They've managed to confirm Cal Ingalls' story. He was in the garage buying milk when he said he was. No luck with the patient list- There's a confidentiality issue. The only person who was with Serena Lowe in the hours before she died was Ambrose Deddington.

Ambrose is out talking to his bees. All the hives are draped in black. Barnaby walks up. Ambrose says, "It's called "telling the bees," Inspector. When someone dies, the bees have to be informed. Otherwise, they'll bring misfortune." Barnaby asks about the black drapes? Ambrose says that the hives are in mourning. Bees are believed to make sense of death because... they have human souls. Barnaby asks, "Do you do this for every person who dies in the village?" Ambrose says, "Dr. Lowe was a great friend and support through my illness. I wanted to show my gratitude and respect."

Barnaby says a witness saw Ambrose enter Dr. Lowe's surgery around 10:00 p.m. and didn't see him leave. Ambrose says they were planning a future together. Marriage, children. He was keeping it secret because of his sister. Tamara gave up a great deal for him when he was diagnosed with cancer. She moved into the house, and she took over the business. They had to prepare everything as if he was going to die. They pledged to be loyal to each other and to the house and to the family legacy. And they believed that Apley Court would have a better future with Ambrose's own son and heir?

Ambrose takes Barnaby over to a ruined building which houses the original Deddington stone beehive. He shows Barnaby a mausoleum. "Meet my ancestors, Inspector. All of them happily embalmed in honey, blessed by the first Ambrose Deddington. Those are the remaining barrels. Honey has remarkable preservative qualities due to its high acidity and potent antibacterial properties. The corpse does not degrade, but becomes infused with the honey that surrounds it. I expected to be in this by now. (he points to a coffin) But I put my trust in the bees, and they saved my life."

Hannah walks into The Hive. She asks Tamara if she can have her old job back. Tamara? Noah says "That would be amazing. Wouldn't it, Tamara? We're crazy busy right now. Uh, I'm Noah, by the way. I help out in here when I'm not teaching yoga." Noah says he needs to find some more premises. Hannah suggests the church. She had talked to her dad about opening it up to the community before she left.

Hannah goes to the church and greets her father. She tells him how much she has missed him. Nigel says she was seen hours ago heading out to Lavender Lane Farm. "A year away, and you choose Jude Deddington over your own father!" Hannah says, "Well, I'm here now. And I am so sorry about Dr. Lowe." Nigel says, "she wasn't the angel everyone thought. She was a fraud. Just like everyone else in this village." Nigel says he has work to do. "Excuse me."

Fleur shows Barnaby and Winter a mark on Dr. Lowe's head shaped like a hexagon. She says, "While the blow to the head was severe enough for her to lose consciousness, there's no evidence of swelling. And I found this on the green." She holds up a vial, "It's what's commonly known as a swarm lure... A slow-release blend of synthetic pheromones, principally Nasanov, principally Nasanov, naturally released by worker bees. But this is used by beekeepers to orient swarming honeybees towards their new colony. The killer covered Dr. Lowe's face and throat in liquid from several vials... but carelessly dropped this one. As you can see... the soft tissues of her esophagus are grossly swollen. She died of asphyxiation." Barnaby says, 'So this was no accidental killing by a startled thief or random contact with an angry swarm. It was premeditated murder."

A candle with the word Doctor on it is blown out. A candle with the word Deceiver on it is lit.

In the Barnaby back yard, Barnaby gives Winter a beer. Betty is running around in a bee costume.

Barnaby asks Winter, "Who would want Serena Lowe dead?" Winter says "Jude Deddington. She's a threat to his inheritance. Ambrose and Serena were planning a family" Barnaby says, "We need to find out whether he knew." Winter says, "I've been doing some more reading up about the hierarchy of the hive. When a new queen bee is introduced, the old one is discarded and killed. What if Tamara knew that her position was threatened?" Barnaby says, "Kill or be killed, metaphorically speaking." Winter says, "Well, both stood to gain from Dr. Lowe being out of the picture." Barnaby says, "Go to the meadery first thing. See if Jude Deddington has an alibi for last night. I'll go and talk to our queen bee."

Sarah walks up and takes away Barnaby's beer. She says, "That's quite enough shop talk. I've packed your exercise gear. There's a new yoga class at Granville Norton. And we've got a babysitter all organized. Betty! You'd like Jamie to stay, wouldn't you?" Betty says, "Yay." Winter says, "Well, do you think that's a good idea, sir? I meant for the investigation." Sarah says, "Well, I think it's ideal. You can check out the locals under the radar."

In the church, yoga participants put down their matts. Sarah and Barnaby show up. Barnaby says, "He fancies you." Sarah say, 'Don't be ridiculous." Barnaby answer, "Why wouldn't he? You're the most beautiful woman in the room."

Nigel and Lynda Babbage come up to the church on bicycles. Nigel says, "In all my years at St. Valentine's, I have never locked the church. Sometimes it seems as if the whole world has turned away from the light. Even my own daughter."

Noah works with each participant. "And stretch. More. Relax into it." He touches Hannah's back. Tamara looks on. "Mmmm... Breathe. Breathe. Good. Mmmm... Exquisite, Sarah. Good, John. Your body is holding on to way too much stress, Cal." He massages Cal's shoulders.

Nigel and Lynda Babbage come up on bicycles. Nigel peers through the church window and then comes through the door. Nigel yells, "'My house shall be called a house of prayer," but ye have made it a den of thieves!' And Jesus went into the temple of God and cast them all out" Hannah says, "Dad, stop this. You're not well." Nigel says, "I'm perfectly well. You're the ones who are sick. You bring questionable Eastern practices into the House of God under the eyes of his son Jesus, and you expect me to be calm? Get out! Heathens! All of you! Get out... now!"

Barnaby says to Sarah, "Well, that's a first. I've never been called a heathen before." Sarah says, "I saw him yesterday. Outside the doctor's surgery. He had a bouquet of flowers. He looked like he was about to deliver them and then just threw them in the bin."

Winter and Barnaby look at a map at the police station. Winter says, "These are all the suspects that were in the vicinity on the night of the murder. Cyrus was nearest and would know about swarm lure." Barnaby says, "As would Ambrose Deddington, but they both lack motive. Unlike Tamara, who had the most to lose." Tamara claims she was working at The Hive all evening. Barnaby says, "There's a path from The Hive to the back of the surgery. So it's possible that she walked there and back unseen at some point during the evening." Jude insists that both he and his mother never left the property. But Jude Deddington's number plate was captured by ANPR on the night of the murder at 10:24 on Marston Road. Dr. Lowe had a baby clinic from 2:00 till 4:00, followed by an elderly gentleman with advanced Parkinson's. Then Reverend Brookthorpe for repeat anti-anxiety meds, a couple of children, and that's about it. Barnaby says, "There was someone else at the surgery that afternoon... Lynda Babbage. Maybe not as much of a treasure as she'd like us all to believe. Noah Moon told me that he'd gone to the surgery on spec. Which makes him a person of interest. He overheard an argument between Serena and Lynda, said it sounded as if Lynda was threatening her. Sarah saw Reverend Brookthorpe taking flowers to the surgery on the afternoon before Dr. Lowe was found dead. He never delivered them. He slammed them into a bin as if he'd seen something to change his mind. I'm going to ask him what that was, while you find out why Cyrus gave Jude Deddington a false alibi for the night of the murder."

In the church, Nigel says, "There used to be a legion of women begging to do the church flowers. Not anymore. Found I'm rather good at it." Barnaby says, "A witness saw the bouquet you made for Serena Lowe. A witness saw the bouquet you made for Serena Lowe. But you never gave it to her. Why?" Nigel says, "Serena was always very kind to me, decent. A beacon of light. And since my wife left, I've been very lonely, and I just wanted to know her better. And I let myself imagine she felt the same. But as I approached the surgery, I saw her with Noah Moon... a man of her own age...She seemed so happy and relaxed in his company. I was overcome with jealousy. But then I caught my reflection in the window and realized how ridiculous I must seem... And realized how ridiculous I must seem... Twice her age and nothing to offer. So I dumped the flowers and left. There's no fool like an old fool."

Winter knocks on Cyrus' door. He goes into a darkroom. There are multiple photos of Ambrose and Serena, Winter finds Cyrus hiding. He says, "I took the photographs, but I haven't hurt anyone. It's just a hobby." Winter says he lied about Jude Deddington being in Granville Norton the night Dr. Lowe was killed. "He drove right past you. Why didn't you tell us?" Cyrus says that "Tamara knew that Ambrose was seeing someone. She asked Jude to follow him and find out who. So when I saw Ambrose going into the surgery, I called Jude."

Cyrus says that ancient wildflower meadows were due to be cut down for housing. Jude said someone had to defend it for the sake of the bees. So he went there at night, sabotaged the machinery. Cyrus is arrested for giving Jude a false alibi.

Lynda Babbage rides up on her bicycle and wants to know where they are taking her son. Barnaby says, "We need to ask you a few questions. You said you loved Dr. Lowe like a daughter. Yet, the day before she died, a witness heard you threatening her." Lynda lies and says it was about money. She was due a raise. "People like her, people who have everything... They don't understand how little we have to live on. I just lost it for a minute. Told her what I thought of her."

Barnaby muses, "The photographs focus on compromising shots of the Deddingtons, as if they're being specifically targeted in some way. Let's ask Tamara Deddington if she knows why."

Meanwhile, Cal takes Noah over to his gym next to the Dower House and tells Noah he can use it for his classes.

Barnaby and Winter go to The Hive. Tamara Deddington says, "If I was being blackmailed, I'd have told the police. Ambrose is like a child with money. I handle all the finances. So I would have noticed if there were any unusual payments.

Winter looks at the photographs in The Hive" All proceeds go to the Granville Norton Camera Club. Lynda Babbage's name is on one that Winter looks at. Winter places a call and tells Barnaby that Lynda Babbage is a stalwart of the Granville Norton Camera Club, known for her prizewinning prints. Cyrus is not even a member.

Tamara tells her brother, Ambrose, that the police came to The Hive. "Made it very clear I'm under suspicion because of your lies. We had an agreement. It made me realize how wrong I was to put my life on hold for you. I've been seeing Noah Moon. We love each other. I'm going to ask him to move in." Ambrose says, "But he's young enough to be your son. He's clearly using you!"

Noah looks around the Dower House. Cal says, "It hasn't been easy. Communities like Granville Norton can be small-minded. Reverend Brookthorpe isn't very forward-thinking." I was planning a garden party to celebrate Pride, everyone welcome. He made his objections perfectly clear. Then flyers were returned defaced. Anonymous notes pushed under my door." Noah sees a photo, "Is this Justin?" Cal replies, "We thought we had a lifetime ahead of us. But he had a silent heart condition. He died in my arms just days before we were due to leave London. I just wanted to be alone, until I met Tamara, started coming to your classes." Noah says, "And I'm so glad that you did. You never need to feel alone again." They kiss. Someone watches them with binoculars.

Barnaby and Winter drive up to where Lynda Babbage is packing up boxes of silver, pottery, etc. She stole all it from Apley Court? Lynda says, "It's not stealing. It's taking back what's rightfully ours. My great-great-grandmother worked at the big house. The master put her in the family way and then refused to do right by her. So the baby boy, my great-grandfather, was a bastard, our family shamed. If there was any justice, my Cyrus would be master now. But justice is just for the rich and powerful. So I took the law into my own hands." Winter says, "You think you should be living at Apley Court?" Barnaby says, "What's in these files? Dates, times, photographs. Exposing the Deddingtons as the filthy liars and hypocrites they really are. I found this in an old chest. It's an ancient deed of accession. It's got a clause forbidding incest. Penalty... Immediate loss of inheritance. If I could have proved lineage...Cyrus found out, begged me to stop. But I couldn't. I was doing it for him. To rid our family of the 200 years of shame we didn't deserve. Cyrus lied to protect me, and I let him. I'll never forgive myself for that."

Cal is on the phone talking to someone, 'I'm not drawing attention to anything. I'm just sick of hiding in the shadows. Look, you have far more to lose than I do. If I have to protect myself, I will." He looks at the photograph of Justin. Behind him a figure in a beekeeper suit rises up.

The yoga participants gather outside Cal's gym. Tamara opens up the door since Cal hasn't arrived yet. Inside is a body encased in wax. Somewhere the Deceiver candle is blown out and the Devil candle lit.

Barnaby and Sarah are doing yoga in their back yard. Winter walks up "There's been another murder."

Fleur says, "The human Roman candle. One of Nero's favorite ways to kill naughty Christians. Beeswax is a new twist, though. His airways are blocked with wax, so it could be asphyxiation. But that could've happened postmortem." Barnaby says, "We need to know who benefits from Cal Ingalls' death. We know one person who'd do anything to get her hands on the dower house. Melissa Deddington. Let's go and ask her."

Noah comforts Hannah. Tamara watches them.

Ambrose talks to his bees. He finds a note in his hive. "Man produces evil" as a bee produces honey. "But be assured... The evil man will not go unpunished."

Jude calls Hannah, "Where are you? Why aren't you returning my calls?" Melissa brings down a bag and says "We can go home now." The police show up. Barnaby asks, "Ms. Deddington? You've been here for the last 24 hours? Is that right?" Melissa says, "You can't let a hornet into a hive. It has to be dealt with... A hornet doesn't die when it stings. It goes on to kill again. Bees know how to trap a hornet. They wrap themselves in a ball, and then they roast it alive. Where the bee sucks, there suck I. In a cowslip's bell, I lie. There I couch when the owls do cry. On a bat's back, do I fly. On a bat's back, do I fly "after summer merrily. Merrily, merrily..." Winter says, "It's Shakespeare." Jude says, "She's not gonna be able to answer any of your questions coherently, so I think it's best you go."

Back at the lab, Fleur says, "The wax used is definitely beeswax, not paraffin. And once I'd managed to remove it, I found some curious things. He's a strong man. But there are no defensive wounds on his hands or arms. No physical sign of a fight. And post strangulation, one would expect to see conjunctival hemorrhages... Generalized flushing of the skin. But there's no evidence of that at all. And he, like the other victim, had a head wound. As you can see, the hexagonal impression left by the impact is almost identical to our other victim. Like the cell of a honeycomb.. But that's not all. Look at this. It's a puncture mark from a hypodermic needle. I got the lab to rush his bloods through for me. Cal was already dead when he was strung up. From an оvеrdоsе of melittin- Pure bee venom. Highly lethal when injected intravenously. Barnaby says, "Who do we know with access to pure bee venom?" Winter, "Ambrose Deddington."

Ambrose says, "Despite everything, this year's solstice honey is a triumph. Would you care to try some, Inspector?" Barnaby, "I'd rather you answered my question, Mr. Deddington." Ambrose says, "Yes, we do extract venom from our bees. It was partly responsible for eradication of my cancer. I still take it prophylactically. It's perfectly safe at low dosage levels. Since my recovery, there's been a high demand from patients with the same diagnosis. It's kept in locked refrigerated storage. And none of my stocks have been disturbed. I have a phobia of needles, and Serena used to do my injections for me.

At The Hive, Tamara tells Hannah, "I'm closing for the rest of the day. Out of respect for Cal. I've got a new treatment I'd like you to trial. It won't take long. And don't forget... I am paying for your time. Now, you just relax. I'll do the rest." Tamara ties Hannah down to a table and heats up hot wax. Tamara says, "A hot honey mask to soothe and enrich. Not that you need it. You have such beautiful skin. You and Noah, such a perfect couple. Young, so young, and full of hope, your whole lives ahead of you." Hannah says, "Tamara, we're not a couple." Tamara says, "I saw the way he looked at you. He was mine until you came back. He said he loved me." Jude and Winter break in the door and manage to stop Tamara from dripping hot wax on Hannah's face.

At the church, Noah comes in and tells Nigel that he owes him an apology. Nigel says "Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Resist the devil! And he will flee from you! Out!" Nigel chases Noah with a candlestick. "I will vanquish you!" Hannah screams, "Dad! Dad!" He drops the candlestick.

Winter digs up some information. Financial checks flagged that the deeds to the dower house were originally transferred from Ambrose Deddington to Cal Ingalls' partner, Justin Drylaw, but there's no record of any money changing hands. It was accounted for as a gift.

Tamara says, "There's no mystery, Inspector. Justin Drylaw was my brother's oncologist. So when Ambrose got the all-clear, he gifted him the dower house." She adds that it's Solstice Day. The ceremony will start very soon.

Sarah shows up and says she came to restock their honey supplies. Betty's been playing Winnie the Pooh with Paddy and he's eaten two full jars so far. Noah walks up to them and tells them he should have a new class up and running soon. Melissa Deddington walks up..."The hornet. I can't escape him. No one's safe. Hornets hunt in dark. But they get thirsty. The hornet's always thirsty. "And teach me how to name the bigger light and how the less, that burn by day and night." The less, the less. Sarah says, "It's a quote from "The Tempest." Barnaby says, "The less is the moon." Melissa says, "We have to go now. We have to go now 'cause he needs it. He'll be back, he'll be back. We have to go now." Sarah says, "She was looking at the water bottle. Noah's bottle." Barnaby says, "The hornet's always thirsty. Noah Moon. Could Moon be a spiritual name?" Barnaby goes to The Hive. Barnaby says to Hannah, "Where's Noah?" Hannah says, "Oh, he's gone. We're closing early for solstice." Barnaby calls Winter, "I want everything you can find on Noah. Winter calls back, "Noah Moon's birth name is Lyster. His mother was Marnie Lyster. She wrote a blog about fighting cancer with apitherapy. Just like her hero, Ambrose Deddington. But she didn't make it." In a field, Noah pours out ashes from an urn. The wind blows them away.

Barnaby, "Get an address. We need to find him." Winter goes to Noah's home. He sees the candles labeled Doctor, Deceiver, Devil. He searches through boxes and finds the beekeeper outfit and medical files. Winter finds Barnaby, "I found Ambrose's medical records. He never had cancer at all. His initial diagnosis turned out to be false. But that was some years down the line." Barnaby, "And by then, his apitherapy cancer miracle was making him rich." Winter: "It was all covered up with the collusion of his oncologist, Justin Drylaw, and Serena Lowe, his G.P. They all had an interest in protecting the Apley Court brand." Barnaby, "Encouraging devotees like Marnie Lyster to believe that she too could be cured." winter, "She died last year on Solstice Day." Noah's out for revenge."

Inside the house, Tamara calls out for Ambrose? "Where are you? Ambrose? Everybody's waiting for you." Tamara finds a letter "Read this, or the master dies."

At the Solstice gathering, Tamara reads the letter, "The master sends his apologies for keeping you waiting. But he is no longer fit to hold this ancient and honorable position. He's a charlatan, a fraud..." um, "a murderer. Responsible for the death of many innocent people. And he must make amends for the shame he has brought to his ancestors."

Barnaby says, "Ancestors. The mausoleum!" In the mausoleum, Ambrose is tied up. Noah bends over him, "You are going to die. Drowning in your own honey. Like my mother. Drowning in her own fluid. You are going to suffer as she suffered." Ambrose, "Help! Help me somebody! Help me! No. No! Help me! Noah lowers the lid on the coffin. He turns on vats of honey that flows into the coffin. Barnaby and Winter race in and lift up the lid and turn off the honey. Noah runs out. He runs into the old beehive. The bees swarm and Noah falls to the ground as the bees approach. Someone sprays gas which scares the bees away.

As the police and Tamara watch, Noah confronts Ambrose, "You are the murderer! You killed my mother! When you found out you didn't have cancer, you could've told the truth, but you chose not to. My mother refused treatment that would've saved her life because of your lies! So you had to die, too...You were always going to be the last." Noah says he found a file in the Dr. Lowe's surgery that confirmed she knew the truth. "Then all I had to do was rouse the swarm. Your precious bees killing the only other thing you ever loved." Noah liked Cal, but then did a bit more digging. He found evidence that Cal was just as culpable as Justin. So he had to die, too. "I already had the venom from the raid at the surgery. He died almost instantly. That seemed too easy after what he'd done. I needed to see him burn. All actions have consequences! You brought this on yourselves!" Noah is taken off by the police.

Ambrose goes over to the beehives, "Your master must fly this place. Do not attempt to follow... my loyal little friends. You have a new master now." He passes his cane to Cyrus. "Ceasing to hum is a sign of mourning. The bees are grieving for their master," says Cyrus. Ambrose and Tamara hold hands as they walk away with the police.

Barnaby says, "It's the natural law of karma, Winter. We create our own destiny by our thoughts, words, and deeds... for good or ill." Winter says, "You're really getting into this yogic stuff, then, sir?" Barnaby says, "On a strictly amateur basis only. Serious yogis would take a dim view of my craving for a pint of real ale." Winter says, "Talking of which, it's pie and a pint night at the Causton Arms. And the natural law of karma says it's your round. Namaste."